Carrier for capsules and the like



Deco H9 1959 M. R. FIELDS CARRIER FOR CAPSULES AND THE LIKE Filed' wa 22.. 9

Patented Dec. 19, 195

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARRIER FOR CAPSULES AND THE LIKE Mack R. Fields, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 4 Glaims.

This invention relates to a carrier for capsules and the like, and is particularly concerned with a. dispensing package containing a plurality of capsules or other bodies, and from which carrier 9. single capsule or other body may be dispensed as desired.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a carrier which will at all times clearly reveal the condition of its content, that is to say, whether or not it contains the desired content or is wholly or partially empty; to provide a carrier from which selected capsules or the like may be dispensed as desired; to provide a carrier of the character indicated which will amply protect the contents and which will provide a struc- Ill ture which is readily identifiable as associated I with a specific kind of capsule or other body so as to prevent mistaken use of the content. The carrier is particularly adapted for use by physicians and others who are required to have available drugs or medicaments which, if erroneously used, might be quite dangerous to the user, and the carrier is such that the carrier itself together with the necessary procedure for dispensing a capsule is so notably different from other packages and dispensing procedures, that mistaken dispensing of the content of the carrier could hardly occur.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing in which there is illustrated a carrier embodying a selected 'form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation, certain parts being broken away and shown in section to reveal some of the details of construction,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing 2 depth as to be adapted to receive capsules or the like such as indicated at l. The body I is also recessed as shown atii and 9 to provide shoulders or seats I0 and II, respectively, for posi-= tioning caps I2 and I3 on the opposite sides of the body I.

The caps I2 and I3 are of like construction and may be formed of the same kind of material as the body I, but for purposes of ornamentation and distinction these caps may be formed of colored plastic material. Each cap has a flange I4 which fits telescopically over the recessed portion 8 or 9 of the body I and seats on the shoulder In or Ii. The caps I2 and I3 have solid end and central portions as shown, and intervening hollowed portions indicated at I5 to save material and reduce weight.

The solid central cap portions are externally recessed as indicated at It, and provided with transparent cylinders or ampules ll of a glass or other suitable material, each such ampule containing a specimen I8 of the capsules or other material packaged in the chambers 6 in the respectively adjacent sides of the body I. of different material or of difierent dosages of the same material may be packaged in the opposite sides of the body. Color differences between difi'erent materials and between different dosages of the same material, enable specimens dis.-

the carrier partially open for the purpose of dispensing some of its contents,

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the carrier in a further opened position,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

edges 2 and 3. In each of said edges 2 and 3 of the body I there are two rows 4 and 5 of recesses or chambers 6 of such diameter and played in the cylinders I! of the respective caps to plainly show what is contained in the adjacent chambers 5.

The caps I2 and I3 are respectively mounted on the body member I, one on each end, in such a manner that the cap may be first withdrawn so as to remove the flange I4 from the recessed part of the body and then swung to a laterally offset position to afford access to the chambers 6. For so mounting the caps, the body I is provided at each end with a bore I9 which is counterbored as shown at 20. A pivot pin 2| has its end 22 recessed into a socket in the cap I2 and cemented or otherwise secured therein, said pivot pin 2| being rotatable in the bore l9 and also axially slidable therein. The pivot pin is provided with an enlarged head 23 which is rotatable and axially slidable in the counterbored portion 20, the head 23 serving to limit the extent of axialmovement of the pivot pin in the body I. and consequently the extent to which the cap I2 may be separated from the body I.

The first step of movement in opening the carrier is illustrated in Fig. 2 where the cap I2 is shown separated from the body I, and the second step of movement for opening the carrier is i1- Capsule .able socket 25 in the opposite cap I3, said guide pin being substantially coaxially aligned with the pivot pin 2I and fitting slidably in a socket 23 provided in the head 23 of the pivot pin II. The cap I 3 is similarly movably and pivotally connected to the body I by means of a pivot pin 21 and said cap I 2 is equipped with a guide 'pin 23 which is slidable in a recess in the pivot pin 2'! in the manner explained in respect of the interfitting relationship between the guide pin 24 and the pivot pin 2|.

While the provision of convenient grips for separating either cap from the body is not essential, such grips may be provided. To typify the provision of a suitable grip, lugs or bosses 29 are shown formed integral with the respective caps intermediate the ends thereof. If preferred, lugs such as the lugs 29 or finger recesses could also be applied to the body I, and such gripping means may be located centrally of the carrier as shown, or adjacent the ends of the caps and body.

When the caps I2 and I3 are open to the position represented in Fig. 3, the capsules remain locked in the respective chambers of the body I by means of a closure 30. Said closure may also be formed of a plastic material in the form of a sheet which has a sufllcient amount of resiliency to normally maintain the sheet in preformed condition and position.

Closures such as 30 are associated with each of the sides 2 and 3 of the body I, such closures being in the form of elongated strips of suitable resilient material folded to generally channelshaped form as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The channel-shaped closure element embodies side legs II and 32, and an intervening leg or plate 33. The closures 30 are mounted in fixed position on the body I by having marginal portions of their legs 3| and 32 cemented in suitable recesses as indicated at 34. The plate parts 33 of said closures are provided with two rows 35 and 36, respectively, of holes which are spaced from each other a greater extent than are the chambers 3-! of the chamber rows 4 and 5. The holes of the rows 35 and 33 in the closure plate are of about the same or slightly larger diameter than the chambers 6 so that when the closure plate holes are coaxially aligned with the chambers 3, the capsules or the like may be passed through the closure plate holes into or out of the chambers in the body I. Because of the resiliency of the closure members 30, the members may be oflset laterally by finger pressure as represented in Fig. to effect alignment of a hole of either row with the associated chamber in the body I. To restrict such movement of the closure plate to the portion thereof which is associated with one pair of chambers 6, the closures are transversely slotted as represented at 31 so as to form, in effeet, a series of individual, resilient strap-like elements associated with each pair of chambers 6.

From an inspection of Fig. 3, it will be seen that when the closure portion associated with one pair of chambers ismoved in one direction, one capsule will be permitted to pass through the hole in the closure plate either into or out of the chamber of the body I. To facilitate the indicated shifting of the closure members 30, the body I is chamfered as indicated at 38 adjacent each row of chambers. As best shown in Fig. 4, the holes in the closure plate 33 are normally out of register with the open ends of the chambers I so that the capsule contained in each chamber is eflectively locked in the chamber. However. either capsule may be dispensed by appropriate shifting of the closure plate to one side or the other, this operation requiring but slight finger pressure which may be exerted with one finger of the hand in which the carrier is held, thereby permitting the dispensed capsule to be dropped into the other hand of the physician or other person.

The caps I2 and I3 serve not only to impart a good appearance to the carrier, but also to insure deliberate opening of the carrier to dispense the proper item.. Said caps also serve to protect the chambers 6 against infiltration of foreign matter such as dust, lint, tobacco crumbs, etc., when the device is carried in the user's pocket. Said caps I2 and I3 are, therefore, made to fit snugly on the shouldered ends of the carrier body as shown so as to be frictionally retained in closed position.

Various changes in the details of the described structure may be made while retaining the principles of the described invention.

I claim: I

1. A carrier of the class described, comprising a body member having a plurality of pairs of chambers arranged in a row and opening to one side of the body so as to permit the insertion and removal of articles into and from said chambers, and a resilient material, channel-shaped retainer embracing the chambered portion of said body member, the median plate portion of said retainer overlying said rows of chambers and the free ends of the side legs of said retainer being anchored to said body so as to yieldingly support said plate portion for lateral movement transversely of said rows of chambers, said retainer being transversely slotted to provide sections respectively associated with :pairs of said chambers, and the plate portions of said sections being provided with pairs of openings arranged in oppositely oifset relation to the respective chambers of the associated pair of chambers, each of said sections being thereby independently shiftable in opposite directions to eifect selective alignment of its openings with the associated chambers.

2. A carrier of the class described, comprising a body member having a plurality of pairs of chambers arranged in a row and opening to one side of the body so as to permit the insertion and removal of articles into and from said chambers, a resilient material, channel-shaped retainer embracing the chambered portion of said body member, the median plate portion of said retainer overlying said rows of chambers and the free ends of the side legs of said retainer being anchored to said body so as to yieldingly support said plate portion for lateral movement transversely of said rows of chambers, said retainer being transversely slotted to provide sections respectively associated with pairs of said chambers, and the plate portions of said sections being provided with pairs of openings arranged in oppositely offset relation to the respective chambers of the associated pair of chambers, each of said sections being thereby independently shiftable in opposite directions to effect selective alignment of its openings with the associated chambers, and cap means removably mounted on said body for enclosing said retainer to thereby normally protect the same against forces which might tend to shift said sections as aforesaid.

3. A carrier of the class described, comprising a body member having a plurality of pairs of 5 chambers arranged in a row and opening to one side of the body so as to permit the insertion and removal of articles into and from said chambore, a resilient material, channel-shaped retainer embracing the chambered portion of said body member, the median plate portion of said retainer overlying said rows of chambers and the free ends 0! the side legs of said retainer being anchored to said body so as to yieldingly support said plate portion for lateral movement transversely of said rows oi chambers, said retainer being transversely slotted to provide sections respectively associated with pairs of said chambers, and the plate portions 01' said sections being provided with pairs of openings arranged in oppositely oil'set relation to the respective chambers of the associated pair of chambers, each of said sections being thereby independently shiitabie in opposite directions to effect selective alignment of its openings with the associated chambers, and cap means removab ly mounted on said body for enclosing said retainer to thereby normally protect the same against forces which might tend to shift said sections as aforesaid, said cap be ed provided with means for displaying a specimen of the articles contained in the chambers underlying the cap.

4. A carrier according to claim 2 in which the cap is telescopically and pivotally mounted on said body member so as to require separate withdrawal and pivoting movements of the cap relative to the body member to afford access to the articles.

MACK R. FIELDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

